Genesis 4:9 And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?

I have not a clue what the Pope's new encyclical will cover on the "environment", but I can say for sure that one of the shocks of being back in the States is the gross waste of resources.

The amount of food which is thrown away in restaurants and even in homes shocks me. Too many Americans order too much, and then discard precious food while millions go to bed hungry. I saw a mom and three kids order Chinese food in a restaurant and then leave most of the the food on the plates. There was enough left over for two more meals for two people. Why? Bad habits?

I have seen people throw away perfectly good items, from furniture to clothes, just because the styles change. Following trends and being taken up by novelty are not virtues.

I have seen furniture near dumpsters which I would have taken, including superb lamps, if I had my own home, instead of living in a furnished place, and so on. Why are things just thrown away and not re-used? Why change for the sake of changing styles? We have become slaves to fashions. Slavery to anything material denies the virtue of temperance to grow in our minds and hearts.

Americans waste resources. Water is another item wasted. Coming from Malta where water is precious, the fact that people use excessive water on gardens, which could be planted more sensibly with drought resistant plants, or with low maintenance plants, astounds me. And, the amount of water used on golf courses, while many of the world's population does not have enough water for drinking or washing, seems criminal.

Good stewardship cannot be seen as something for the liberal Catholics to consider. We must all be good stewards.

A lady told me her mother who died had up to 300 pairs of shoes. Another lady told me that her neighbors change their entire living room YEARLY, furniture, paint, carpet, the whole nine yards.

Charity is not giving away bad clothes, but using things for a long time so that the poor can be given good things which are necessary. I have heard a person say, about a clothes drive for the poor, "Well this is good enough for THEM."

Again, I do not believe in global warming, which has been proven to be a false pseudo-science, but I do hold firmly that such things as organic gardening and sensible use of materials must be considered. We have lost touch with nature, and we are part of nature.

Someone told me he did not like his relatively new car and that he will replace it soon. He just does not like it. Well, why buy something without doing the homework as to whether it meets your needs?

Waste includes the sin of following trends and novelties. Also, narcissism demands that one always buys "the best" and not what is simply necessary.

Traditional Catholics need to stop and look at their spending habits as well as liberal Catholics. Two men told me they were "poor" recently, when they live comfortable middle class lives. They has no idea of real poverty, none, but comparing their own salaries in the mid-50k with those who make much more, they have lost perspective. If a person owns their own house, has a car and eats three meals a day, that person is not poor.

I think of the Garbage Children when these men talk to me in the neighborhood. I think of those who have fallen through the cracks and need the help of their fellow Catholics, do not get it, and become invisible.

The invisible poor need all of us to be good stewards. What is the answer to the question, "

Buying things can become addictive, such as those who get involved with compulsive shopping.

The credit card allows people to pretend to be richer than they are and live lifestyles of deceit.

I hope the Pope addresses good stewardship. By the way, if readers are careful, they can see what I think and what the Church formally teaches are not far apart. Good stewardship has always been taught by the Church. As to the science of global warming, we do not have to agree with documents which do come out of the lower levels of the Church departments. Remember the chaos a few years ago concerning the so-called official socialist document, which was leaked and never officially approved.

Not all things in the 'Osservatore Romano are approved documents. Also, some documents are "working documents" still in process.

APOSTOLIC LETTERORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON RESERVING PRIESTLY ORDINATION
TO MEN ALONE

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,

1. Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted by Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone. This tradition has also been faithfully maintained by the Oriental Churches.

When the question of the ordination of women arose in the Anglican Communion, Pope Paul VI, out of fidelity to his office of safeguarding the Apostolic Tradition, and also with a view to removing a new obstacle placed in the way of Christian unity, reminded Anglicans of the position of the Catholic Church: "She holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing his Apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for his Church."(1)

But since the question had also become the subject of debate among theologians and in certain Catholic circles, Paul VI directed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to set forth and expound the teaching of the Church on this matter. This was done through the Declaration Inter Insigniores, which the Supreme Pontiff approved and ordered to be published.(2)

2. The Declaration recalls and explains the fundamental reasons for this teaching, reasons expounded by Paul VI, and concludes that the Church "does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination."(3) To these fundamental reasons the document adds other theological reasons which illustrate the appropriateness of the divine provision, and it also shows clearly that Christ's way of acting did not proceed from sociological or cultural motives peculiar to his time. As Paul VI later explained: "The real reason is that, in giving the Church her fundamental constitution, her theological anthropology-thereafter always followed by the Church's Tradition- Christ established things in this way."(4)

In the Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, I myself wrote in this regard: "In calling only men as his Apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner. In doing so, he exercised the same freedom with which, in all his behavior, he emphasized the dignity and the vocation of women, without conforming to the prevailing customs and to the traditions sanctioned by the legislation of the time."(5)

In fact the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles attest that this call was made in accordance with God's eternal plan; Christ chose those whom he willed (cf. Mk 3:13-14; Jn 6:70), and he did so in union with the Father, "through the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2), after having spent the night in prayer (cf. Lk 6:12). Therefore, in granting admission to the ministerial priesthood,(6) the Church has always acknowledged as a perennial norm her Lord's way of acting in choosing the twelve men whom he made the foundation of his Church (cf. Rv 21:14). These men did not in fact receive only a function which could thereafter be exercised by any member of the Church; rather they were specifically and intimately associated in the mission of the Incarnate Word himself (cf. Mt 10:1, 7-8; 28:16-20; Mk 3:13-16; 16:14-15). The Apostles did the same when they chose fellow workers(7) who would succeed them in their ministry.(8) Also included in this choice were those who, throughout the time of the Church, would carry on the Apostles' mission of representing Christ the Lord and Redeemer.(9)

3. Furthermore, the fact that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, received neither the mission proper to the Apostles nor the ministerial priesthood clearly shows that the non-admission of women to priestly ordination cannot mean that women are of lesser dignity, nor can it be construed as discrimination against them. Rather, it is to be seen as the faithful observance of a plan to be ascribed to the wisdom of the Lord of the universe.

The presence and the role of women in the life and mission of the Church, although not linked to the ministerial priesthood, remain absolutely necessary and irreplaceable. As the Declaration Inter Insigniores points out, "the Church desires that Christian women should become fully aware of the greatness of their mission: today their role is of capital importance both for the renewal and humanization of society and for the rediscovery by believers of the true face of the Church."(10)

The New Testament and the whole history of the Church give ample evidence of the presence in the Church of women, true disciples, witnesses to Christ in the family and in society, as well as in total consecration to the service of God and of the Gospel. "By defending the dignity of women and their vocation, the Church has shown honor and gratitude for those women who-faithful to the Gospel-have shared in every age in the apostolic mission of the whole People of God. They are the holy martyrs, virgins and mothers of families, who bravely bore witness to their faith and passed on the Church's faith and tradition by bringing up their children in the spirit of the Gospel."(11)

Moreover, it is to the holiness of the faithful that the hierarchical structure of the Church is totally ordered. For this reason, the Declaration Inter Insigniores recalls: "the only better gift, which can and must be desired, is love (cf. 1 Cor 12 and 13). The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints."(12)

4. Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church's judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force.

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

Invoking an abundance of divine assistance upon you, venerable brothers, and upon all the faithful, I impart my apostolic blessing.

P rayer is simplicity and purity of mind reaching up to God and allowing Him to just Be with us. Too often, many things, thoughts, people stop us from that simplicity and purity. Modern life dictates against simplicity and purity. Go back into the perfection series for more on purity, but look at the small ways here in which one can break away from unnecessary complexity.

One of the great problems of those who are trying to become closer to God could be called, as the Maritains do, the "reflex of the mind". Too often, through habitual sin, or even the sins of families, one reverts back to such reflexes, which stop the growth of holiness. We fall into spiritual illusions. I talk to people who are on the right path, but fall into habits of mind, like judgment, criticism, negativity, scrupulosity, spiritual sloth.

One of the most common reflexes of the mind which I have encountered since I have been back to the States has been identified by the Maritains as a psychological knee-jerk reaction involving "psychological curiosity".

Oh my, yes. Since January, I have heard numerous Catholics try and explain away sin in terms of psychological weaknesses. I left off on point four the other day regarding the descriptions and definitions of contemplation. As we continue to examine these, we see the opposite of "staring at one's navel" as we use to say in the seventies--the over examination of self. One cannot explain away sin. God will not allow us to explain ourselves when we stand before Him and see the depth of our failings. But, now, we can learn to do this type of contemplation of our nothingness and His Goodness.

Here are some more of the tidbits from the Maritains.

Point Six, "The contemplative life consists in a sort of holy leisure and repose...."

One must be still and seek solitude. God does not like rivals to His Person, His time, His ways.

Point Seven, "The contemplative life is related to divine things, and the active to human things; which is why St. Augustine says in the book De Verbis Domini: 'In the beginning was the Word, this is he to whom Mary listened: and the Word was made Flesh, this is he whom Martha served.'"

But, we can be so focused on the things of daily life, that we miss the small, still voice of God speaking to us in the midst of even chaos. To train one's mind to disregard such confusion is to break through the reflexes of the mind.

Point Eight, "The contemplative life is related to what is specifically proper to man, that is, the intellect, while the lower forces common to human and to animal life take part in the operations of the active life...."

One of my favorite psalms embodies this call-Psalm 24 DR. This is a good prayer for those in tribulation.

Verse 9 refers to those who allow God to humble them in the Nights.

Psalm 24 Douay-Rheims

24 Unto the end, a psalm for David. To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.

2 In thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed.

3 Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on thee shall be confounded.

Pray to these two saints for me. Special BIG intention.... and get this,St. Cunigunde is widely venerated. Among likely many others, she is the namesake of St. Cunegunda Church, Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is the Patroness of Luxembourg, where the parish church of Clausen is dedicated to her and is the venue for Luxembourg's only regular Sunday Mass in the Tridentine Rite, Lithuania, Poland, and the Archdiocese of Bamberg, Germany.[7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunigunde_of_LuxembourgLitany to St. WillibrordLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy.Christ, hear us.Christ, graciously hear us.God the Father in heaven,have mercy on us.God the Son, Redeemer of the world,have mercy on us.God the Holy Spirit,have mercy on us.God the Holy Trinity,have mercy on us.St Willibrord, pray for us.St Willibrord, Guiding Light of the Church,St Willibrord, Bright-shining star of our country,St Willibrord, Missionary to our homeland,St Willibrord, special protector of this our land,St Willibrord, first apostle of the Netherlands.St Willibrord, founder of monasteries and churches,St Willibrord, promoter of progress and knowledge,St Willibrord, teacher of truth,St Willibrord, passionate interpreter of the teaching of Christ,St Willibrord, ceaseless proclaimer of the Holy Gospel,St Willibrord, teacher of true faith,St Willibrord, founder of peace and justice,St Willibrord, model of hope and reconciliation,St Willibrord, conqueror of injustice and discord,St. Willibrord, Architect of Community and Unity,St Willibrord, Destroyer of idols,St Willibrord, Patron Saint of children,St Willibrord, Gentle guide of the lost,St Willibrord, Support of the homeless,St Willibrord, Friend of the persecuted,St Willibrord, Light of the blind,St. Willibrord, Refuge for the sick,St Willibrord, Gentle father of the poor,St Willibrord, Comforter of the afflicted and sorrowful,St Willibrord, Helper to the suffering,St Willibrord, True voice of God,St Willibrord, Humble servant of Jesus Christ,St Willibrord, Mighty advocate in heaven,St Willibrord, Miraculous healer,St Willibrord, True witness and confessor of Christ,St Willibrord, Saviour of those who doubt their faith,St Willibrord, Supporter of the care–giver and educator,St Willibrord, Hope of those who pray,St Willibrord, Model of patience and gentleness,St Willibrord, Example of active love,St Willibrord, Master of joy and life,St Willibrord, Disciple of Christ,Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,Hear us.Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.Graciously hear us.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.Have mercy on us.Pray for us, Saint Willibrord.That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.Let us pray.O God, the Saviour of all,who sent your bishop Willibrord as a pilgrim for Christto proclaim the good news to many peoplesand confirm them in their faith,help us also, we beseech you,to witness to your steadfast love by word and deedso that your Church may increase and grow strong in holiness.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Leon Bloy

Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma

The Church Must Not Be Defensive

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Too many Church leaders do not think, or do not think as Catholics

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GUILD PRAYER

God our Father, source of life and freedom, through Your Holy Spirit you gave the Carmelite, Titus Brandsma the courage to affirm human dignity even in the midst of suffering and degrading persecution.

Grant us that same spirit so that, in refusing all compromise with error we may always and everywhere give coherent witness to Your abiding presence among us.